STEM stands for the acronym Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. The popular subjects under STEM includes Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Further Mathematics and Mathematics.
Mathematics is the most popular of the STEM subjects because it cut across all fields. Mathematics is applicable to every work you can think of, ranging from doctor to banking to journalism.
Biology has to do with study of living organism (bacteria, cells, plants, animals and human being e.t.c) some students really find biology to be fun while some find it to be irritating because they do not like the idea of discussing about different living organism.
Chemistry is a science that deals with the composition, structure, and properties of substances and with the transformations that they undergo.
Physics is the science that deals with matter, energy, motion, and force or you can say that it is the science of energy and matter and how they relate to each other.
Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geography seeks to understand where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change over time.
These courses I’ve stated above are interesting courses but not everyone find it interesting due to one reason or the other. I’ll be showing you some of those reasons and the solution.
Some of the reasons are stated below.
Exposure to only theoretical aspect
Most schools on teach the theoretical aspect of STEM subjects neglecting the practical aspect of which STEM subjects cannot be taught if those two factors are not in place. Both the theoretical and the practical aspect is needed.
Imagine taking part in a biology class and all you see is drawings of living organisms, that would not make much impact on you but when you see live examples or you watch it on video, it will give you a better understanding of what the subject is all about.
Most schools do not want to go the extra mile of doing research on practical appropriate for each topic because they find it cumbersome and that is where STEAM club comes in as we are available to help you carryout science research and teach it to your student in an effective method.
STEM subjects can be expensive sometimes
Some STEM subjects can be expensive because they entail practical. For instance if you are teaching subjects such as chemistry and physics, you will need to be able to explain through practical examples.
This is a cumbersome task for most schools as they do not have the time to go about sourcing for materials to use for practical; it might also be an extra cost on their part as some parents might not want to pay for materials that will be used for practical.
The best solution is outsourcing the practical teaching of STEM subject to STEAM organizations that can offer that service to you at a cheaper price.
Boring teachers
Have you seen a boring teacher before? If your answer is NO, then let me just inform you that there are really some boring teachers. Teachers that are not passionate about teaching their students.
Some teachers go into teaching just to earn money therefore they do not care if their teaching is boring or not. A good teachers should be teaching because they want to impact lives and in cause of imparting lives, they use all possible methods to do so which includes them making the class fun and also at the same time imparting knowledge.
Wrong perception
Perception has do do with the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted. A lot of students have a wrong understanding about STEM subjects. They believe it is hard because they have been told by others that it is hard.
Some students also believe some students are capable of doing STEM subjects while others are not but in the real sense all students can do STEAM subjects if they put their minds to it.
Lack of encouragement
Everyone needs encouragement from time to time and the same thing goes for students also especially does taking STEM subjects.
Those taking STEM subjects might find it discouraging at some points when they are finding it difficult to understand the subjects. Which is why we usually have student counselors in most schools to help encourage the students whenever the going gets tough.
It’s not necessary we get students counsellor to counsel the students any teacher with STEM background can use STEM education to encourage students when the going seems tough because STEM is always fun
Entails more study time
Those studying STEM subjects need to study more than those studying other subjects because when it comes to STEM subjects, you need to pay attention to details.
I also studied STEM subjects and I know the commitment it entails as you need to do a lot of experiments and researches.
So, if you are planning to study STEM subjects then you should have it at the front of your mind that you will need to be dedicated and diligent towards your studies.
Wrong advice
The advice we get goes a long way to affect our decisions, which is why students should get advice from educationist rather than anybody out there on the street.
I’ve seen situation whereby parents or relatives force students to follow a particular career line that is not of interest to them but they just do it because they want to please those people.
Students should try their best to get good advice as this will have a lasting impact on them, it will help them choose the right career path, which will in turn help them to choose the right subjects to do.
My advice for any young student out there is that they should follow their dreams and not allow other people tell them it can’t be done.
If your dream is to be an inventor or a scientist, then go for it, study STEM subjects and you will see that you can become whatever you want to be.
